Manual propelling means for boats



July 20, 1937. H. H. LARKINS MANUAL PROPELLING MEANS FOR BOATS 5 Sheets-Sheet I Filed April 11, 1936 1% #Larl/ins I I c' Jul MANU LARKINS AL PROPELLING MEANS FOR BOA 2,087,647

Filed TS APIll 11 1936 v 5 Sh etS-Sh 2 I v r v ado WM MANUA L PROPELLING MEANS FOR BOA Aprll 1936 3 sh eats-She t 3 Gum/1w Patented July 20, 1937 v umrso STATES MANUAL PROPELLING MEANS FOR BOATS Herman H. Larkins, Houston, Tex, assignor of one-half to Noah E. Studebaker, Houston, Tex.

Application April 11, 1936, Serial No. 73,914

15 Claims.

This invention relates to the class of boats and pertains particularly to power generating means for propelling the same.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved mechanism designed to supplant the present oar method of propelling boats manually, whereby the boat may be manually propelled with greater ease and at a greater rate of speed.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved manually operated boat propelling mechanism which is designed to facilitate the propulsion of a boat by means of a rotating propeller and to enable the operator to face forwardly so that it will be possible for him to see, without difficulty, the direction in which the boat is travelling.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved boat propelling mechanism having a novel means associated therewith for steering or guiding the boat.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a combined mianually actuated boat propelling mechanism and steering means so associatedtherewith as to facilitate the steering of the boat without releasing the elements through which the propulsive power is transmitted from the arms of the operator to a propeller unit.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel rudder construction wherein the rudder is mounted for oscillation about an axis extending longitudinally of the boat and also about a substantially vertical axis, and means associated with the rudder whereby a turning of the same on the horizontal axis will effect its oscillation on its vertical axis.

The'invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified 'so long as such changes or mlodifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan of a boat equipped with the mechanism embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view partly in longitudinal section and partly in side elevation of the boat, showing the mechanism in side elevation;

Figure 3 is a top plan View upon an enlarged scale of the portion of the mechanism lying within the boat; V

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section on a vertica plane through the drive shaft encasing housing of the mechanism, the section being substantially on the line 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure l; 7 1 v Figure 6 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section of the rear end portion of the mechanism, the same being on a scale enlarged with respect to Figure 2;

Figure '7 is a View looking at the mechanism from the rear and illustrating the relative positions of the parts in steering;

Figure 8 is a view in top plan of the steering mechanism showing the rudder blade oscillated to a lateral position. 7

relatively low side walls or gunwales 3 between which one or more seats 4 maybe mounted. The present manually operable propelling mechanism for the boat comprises a supporting bar 5 which is formed in two telescopically-joined portions 5 and I, each of which has its outer end formed 7 to be secured by a bolt 8 between a pair of supporting bracket members 9, which are bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the inner faces of the boat gunwales in the manner illustrated. This telescoping supporting rod 5 facilitates'the mounting of the propelling mechanism in boats of different widths.

The outer member 6 of the mechanism supporting bar has a sleeve l0 secured thereto, whichcarries a standard H, the upper end of which is secured to the lower half of a two-part or longitudinally split sleeve I2. These two parts of the sleeve l2 are flanged at the sides and joined by bolts or screws l3;

Extending through the bottom of the boat on the longitudinal center or keel line and at an oblique angle to the bottom 2 is a steering tube housing M, the rear end of which carries the upstanding angular'bracket am Hi, which has its laterally directed upper portion secured by means of the U-bolt I6 or in any other suitable manner, to the bottom of the boat at the stern.

The inner end of this housing l4 carries a packing nut ll, through which passes the steering tube 58, which .extends throughout the length of the housing 14 andprojects at its rear end from the rear end of the housing beneath the stern of the boat, while its forward end extends upwardly and forwardly in the boat through the mechanism supporting sleeve H.

The numeral is generally designates a gear housing which is divided into two portions and this housing comprises a lower circular part 20 and a sleeve part 2!, which is disposed in tangential relation with the circular part 29 and into which the circular part opens. The parts 20 and 2! are divided, as previously stated, so that the housing may be opened up for access to the mechanism therein.

Surrounding the forward end of the steering tube I8 is an encasing sleeve 3! which is supported for oscillation in the split sleeve I? between the latter and the tube !8, and this encasing sleeve, together with the forward end of the steering tube l8, extends into one end of the gear housing sleeve portion 2| in the manner illustrated, and the gear housing is en tirely supported upon the forward end of the casing sleeve and the steering tube beyond the supporting structure H. The encasing sleeve 3| has a collar 32 about it at the rear end of the split supporting sleeve 12 which prevents any tendency of the encasing sleeve, which is secured to the steering tube ill by the set screws 33, to move forwardly and also prevents any rearward movement of the split sleeve 12 on the casing sleeve.

The opposite end of the sleeve part 2| has threaded thereinto the combined bearing and dust cap 22, which closes the forward end of the sleeve 2! and supports the forward end of a propeller shaft which is hereafter described.

The propeller shaft herein referred to is indicated by the numeral 23 and extends throughout the length of the steering tube l8 and the gear mechanism housing sleeve 2!, having its forward end mounted in the cap 22 and its rear end projecting beyond the rear end of the steering tube l8 in the manner illustrated. Secured upon the forward end of the shaft 23 is a sharp pitch worm 24 having connected with it the cones 25 which extend into bearings 26 which are carried in the housing sleeve 2| and which rotatably support the cones and the forward end of the shaft. This worm 24 is in mesh with the worm gear 27 which is enclosed in the circular part 20 of the gear housing and is supported upon the crank shaft 28 which extends through the radial center of the housing. The teeth upon the face of the gear 2'! are also sharply pitched so that power may be readily transmitted from the gear to the worm 24 to effect the rotation of the shaft 23.

Upon the ends of the gear shaft 28 are cranks 29 and each of these cranks has connected therewith one end of a pitman 3E].

The encasing sleeve 3! carries a post 34, which has formed integral with its upper end the transversely extending sleeve 39. Oscillatably mounted in the sleeve 39 is a tubular shaft 3'! and extending through the shaft 37 is a shaft 35. The numeral 3% designates a pair of operating levers, one of which extends across the end of and has the tubular shaft 31 secured thereto, as illustrated in Figure 5, while the other lever has one end of the shaft 35 fixed therein, the other end of this shaft extending through the opposite lever 36 and having a securing nut 35 thereon which is tightened up on the shaft 35 against the outer side of the adjacent lever 36.

At the rear end of the steering tube l3, below the bottom of the boat, is secured to the steering tube the fork 49, the arms 4! of which are arranged in spaced parallel relation and directed rearwardly. Each arm of the fork 40 terinmates in a bearing 42 and disposed between the ends of the fork arms is a rudder blade 43, which carries the trunnions M at its opposite or top and bottom edges, each of which extends into a bearing 42.

The end of the vertically disposed bracket l5 carries a downwardly extending pivot finger 45, which projects through the slot 48 which is formed longitudinally in the arm 41, which is fixed or made rigid at one end with the upper rudder trunnion 44. Housed Within the fork 40 behind the rudder blade 43 is a propeller 48 which is secured upon the shaft 23 in the manner illustrated.

In the operation of the mechanism herein described, the rotation of the propeller shaft 23 and the propeller 48 is effected by oscillating the levers 35 by means of which rotary motion is transmitted to the worm gear 21 and from there to the worm 24. If, during the actuation of the levers, it is desired to operate the rudder blade 43 to steer the boat, the operator oscillates the levers 36 to the right or to the left so as to effect the turning of the casing sleeve 3| in the supporting structure l2. This will also effect the oscillation of the gear housing and the mechanism therein and of the steering tube [8, without interfering I? with the continued forward and rearward oscillatory motion of the levers by which the rotation of the gear mechanism and the propeller shaft is maintained. When the steering tube I8 is oscillated, this will effect the oscillation of the fork i0, together with the steering blade 63 which is mounted between the ends of the fork arms, and since the upper trunnion 44 is rigidly connected with the end of the slotted arm 41, which has its other end slidably connected with the fixed finger 45, this oscillation of the fork 49 will cause the slotted arm 4'! to swing or oscillate about the longitudinal center'of the rudder trunnions and will result in the turning of the rudder simultaneously with its disposal at an inclination from i the vertical; t will thus be seen that the novel steering means herein described may be readily actuated without necessitating the changing of the speed of operation of the levers 36 for the propulsion of the boat.

What is claimed is:

1. In a propelling mechanism for a boat, a propeller shaft and a propeller mounted upon one end thereof, geared driving mechanism connected with the other end of the shaft, means for supporting said mechanism in the boat, crank means operatively coupled with said gear mechanism for transmitting power thereto, lever means mounted for oscillation in two right angularly related planes, connecting means between the levers and said cranks for transmitting motion to the gear mechanism when the lever means is oscillated in one plane, a steering element, and means for effective movement of the steering element when the lever means is oscillated in the other plane.

2. In a boat propelling mechanism, a supporting structure including a bearing sleeve, a tubular shaft extending through the bearing sleeve and adapted for oscillation therein, a rudder blade pivotally carried upon one end of the tubuthe levers with the gear mechanism for transmitting motion from the levers to the mechanism, said levers being adapted to effect the oscillatory motion of the tubular shaft in the supporting bearing therefor, and means connected with the rudder blade whereby the oscillation of the tubular shaft will effect the oscillation of the rudder blade about a substantially vertical axis.

3. A boat propelling mechanism, comprising a supporting structure including a bearing sleeve, a'sleeve oscillatably supported in' the bearing sleeve, a steering tube extending through the second mentioned sleeve, a fork carried upon one end of the steering tube, a rudder blade oscillatably mounted in said fork, a propeller shaft passing through the steering tube and support ing a propeller upon the end adjacent the rudder blade, a gear housing having a portion receiving the other end of the steering tube and a portion of one end of the second mentioned sleeve, said second sleeve and steering tube being coupled for unitary oscillation in the bearing sleeve, gear mechanism in said housing operatively coupled with the shaft for transmitting rotary motion thereto, a pair of levers mounted for fore and aft oscillation upon the second sleeve, crank and pitman means coupling the levers with the gear mechanism for transmitting motion thereto from the levers, and mechanism coupled with said rudder blade whereby'oscillation of the same with the steering tube and fork will efiect independent oscillation of the blade upon an axis perpendicular to the axis of oscillation of the steering tube.

4. Boat propelling mechanism of the character described, comprising a supporting bar, means at the ends of the bar for mounting the same between the gunwales of a boat, a bearing sleeve supported by the bar to extend longitudinally of the boat, a tubular housing adapted to extend through the bottom of the boat and alined with said bearing sleeve, a supporting bracket adapted to couple the rear end of the housing with the bottom of the boat at the stern, a steering tube extending through said housing and said bearing sleeve, a fork secured to said steering tube at the rear end thereof, a casing sleeve surrounding the steering tube and passing through the bearing sleeve, a propeller shaft passing through the steering tube and carrying a propeller upon its rear end, gear mechanism coupled with the other end of the propeller shaft and including a pair of cranks, said casing sleeve being secured to the steering tube for oscillation therewith, a pair of levers mounted upon the casing sleeve for fore and aft oscillation, pitmans connecting the levers with said cranks, a rudder blade mounted in said fork for oscillation on an axis perpendicular to the oscillation axis of the steering tube, and means coupled with the rudder blade whereby the oscillation of the steering tube will effect oscillation of the rudder blade on the said axis of oscillation thereof.

5. In a boat propelling and steering mechanism, including a propeller shaft, a propeller thereon, an oscillating lever means for transmitting rotary motion to the propeller, a tube Surrounding the propeller shaft and mounted for oscillation upon its longitudinal axis, means supporting said levers on the sleeve whereby oscillation of the sleeve by means of the levers may be effected, a fork secured to said sleeve at the end adjacent the propeller and having a pair of arms arranged at opposite sides of the propeller, a rudder blade disposed between the ends of said arms, trunnions pivotally couplingcpposite edges 'of the rudder blade with the arms, a slotted'arm 6. In a boat steering and propelling mechanism, a steering column, a shaft extending through the column, a propeller carried on one" end of the shaft, a rudder supported upon the end of the column adjacent the propeller, the column being oscillatable, gear mechanism supported upon the other end of the column for oscillation therewith and operatively coupled with the shaft, and manually operable means supported upon said column for movement in a plane paralleling the same and operatively coupled withsaid mechanism for transmitting motive power to the shaft, and said means being oscillatable with the column and in a plane lying transversely thereof to effect turning of the rudder.

'7. In a boat steering and propelling mechanism, a steering column, a shaft extending through the column, a propeller carried on one 3 end of the shaft, a rudder supported upon the end of the column adjacent the propeller, the column being oscillatable, gear mechanism supported upon the other end of the column for oscillation therewith and operatively coupled withthe shaft, manually propelled means supported upon said column and operatively coupled with said mechanism for transmitting motive power to the shaft, said means being secured to and oscillat ble with the column to effect turning of the ru der, and means for effecting the turning of the rudder on an axis perpendicular to the column simultaneously with the oscillation of the column.

8. In a boat steering and propelling mechanism, a steering column, a shaft extending through the column, a propeller carried on one end of the shaft, a rudder supported upon the end of the column adjacent the propeller, the column being oscillatable, gear mechanism supported upon the other end of the column for oscillation therewith and operatively coupled with the shaft, manually propelled means supported upon said column and operatively coupled with said mechanism for transmitting motive power to the shaft,

said means being secured to and oscillatable with the column to effect turning of the rudder, the

supporting connection between said rudder and column being such as to permit the rudder to oscillate on an axis perpendicular to the column, and connecting means between the rudder and a fixed part of the mechanism compelling oscilla-' tion of the rudder on said axis when the column is oscillated.

9. In a boat steering and propelling mechanism, a shaft, a propeller on one end thereof, a tubular shaft enclosing the first shaft, a gear housing enclosing the other end of the first shaft and opening into the tubular shaft, gear mechanism in said housing coupled with the first shaft, means supporting the tubular shaft and housing for rocking movement, a lever carried upon the tubular shaft and pivoted for oscillation, means coupling the lever to the gear mechanism for transmitting motion to the latter, and a rudder coupled with the tubular shaft to be actuated by the oscillation of the latter.

10. In a boat steering and propelling mechanism, a tubular shaft, mounting means therefor permitting its axial oscillation, a propeller shaft running through the tubular shaft, a propeller on one end of the latter shaft, manually operable means supported upon the tubular shaft for rotating the propeller shaft, said last means being operable also for oscillating the tubular shaft, and a rudder coupled with the tubular shaft adjacent the propeller to be oscillated with the tubular shaft upon the same axis of oscillation.

11. In a boat steering and propelling mechanism, a tubular shaft, mounting means therefor permitting its axial oscillation, a propeller shaft running through the tubular shaft, a propeller on one end of the latter shaft, manually operable means supported upon the tubular shaft for rotating the propeller shaft, said last means being operable also for oscillating the tubular shaft, a rudder pivotally supported upon the end of the tubular shaft adjacent the propeller, said pivotal support of the rudder being perpendicular to the attached shaft, and means operating to oscillate the rudder upon said pivotal support as the rudder is oscillated co-axially with the tubular shaft.

12. Ina boat steering and propelling mechanism, a tubular shaft, mounting means therefor permitting its axial oscillation, a propeller shaft running through the tubular shaft, a propeller on one end of the latter shaft, manually operable means supported upon the tubular shaft for rotating the propeller shaft, said last means being operable also for oscillating the tubular shaft, a rudder pivotally supported upon the end of the tubular shaft adjacent the propeller, said pivotal support of the rudder being perpendicular to the attached shaft, a longitudinally slotted bar secured at one end to the rudder to swing co-axially with said pivotal support and in a plane at right angles thereto, and a fixed pin having sliding engagement in said bar slot.

13. In a boat propelling mechanism including a propeller shaft enclosing tubular shaft and power mechanism carried upon one end of the tubular shaft, means for mounting the mechanism carrying end of the tubular shaft in a boat comprising two telescopically coupled elongated members, means at the remote ends of said members for securing said ends to spaced supports, a sleeve secured to and supported by one of said members and having said tubular shaft extending therethrough, and means engaging the tubular shaft at the ends of said sleeve permitting oscillation of the said shaft and preventing longitudinal movement of the same through the sleeve.

14. In a boat steering and propelling mechanism, a tubular shaft, mounting means therefor permitting its axial oscillation, a propeller shaft running through the tubular shaft, a propeller on one end of the latter shaft, means for rotating the propeller shaft, means for oscillating the tubular shaft, a rudder pivotally supported upon the end of the tubular shaft adjacent the propeller, said pivotal support of the rudder being perpendicular to the attached shaft, and means operating to oscillate the rudder upon said pivotal support as the rudder is oscillated co-axially with the tubular shaft.

15. In a boat steering and propelling mechanism, a tubular shaft, mounting means therefor permitting its axial oscillation, a propeller shaft running through the tubular shaft, a propeller on one end of the latter shaft, means for rotating the propeller shaft, means for oscillating the tubular shaft, a rudder pivotally supported upon the end of the tubular shaft adjacent the propeller, said pivotal support of the rudder being perpendicular to the attached shaft, a longitudinally slotted bar secured at one end to the rudder to swing co-axially with said pivotal support and in a plane at right angles thereto, and a fixed pin having sliding engagement in said bar slot.

HERMAN H. LARKINS. 

